Christian lobby groups are pressing both major parties to recommit to the unamended religious discrimination bill as Labor guarantees to extend the chaplaincy program with a secular choice for schools.
Guardian Australia understands Labor has told FamilyVoice it has “consistently supported” the $61m-a-year chaplaincy program but will move to give schools the option of a secular pastoral care worker.
The opposition is being pressured by Christian Schools Australia to ditch its proposed changes to the religious discrimination bill.
On Tuesday Scott Morrison stopped short of recommitting to the religious bill and blamed Labor for his government’s decision not to put it to a Senate vote in February.
That prompted outrage from a FamilyVoice spokesperson, Greg Bondar, who said it was “not true” to blame Labor for “Morrison’s failure” to pass the bill, instead blaming five Liberal MPs for a deal with the attorney general to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination.
In February Labor helped pass the religious discrimination bill in the lower house but, along with five Liberal MPs who crossed the floor, added amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to protect LGBTQ+ students.
Facing a revolt from conservatives who found the amendments unacceptable, the Morrison government shelved the bill, which did not pass the Senate despite bipartisan support for banning discrimination on the grounds of religion.
On Tuesday Morrison incorrectly claimed the bill didn’t have bipartisan support, arguing “the Labor party used it as a Trojan horse to seek to make other changes”.
“I found that very disappointing,” he said.
Asked if he would commit to reintroduce and pass the bill in the next term, Morrison said his “views about protecting people against religious discrimination are well known and my credibility on those issues are not challenged or under question”.
Bondar said Morrison must commit to pass the bill.
He noted Labor has committed to pass a religious discrimination bill including “maintaining the right of religious schools to preference people of their faith in the selection of staff”.
“Christians and faith-based groups are very disappointed at Morrison’s failure to come good with the promised bill,” he said.
One Nation has recommitted to the bill, and its leader, Pauline Hanson, has taken aim at Morrison for “capitulating to Liberal moderates and [announcing] more protections for students who didn’t need them”.
Christian Schools Australia’s director of public policy, Mark Spencer, said it had sought a commitment from both parties to reintroduce and pass the bill in its original form.
Labor had called for a range of other amendments banning racial vilification and removing the controversial statements of belief clause.
Spencer warned Labor against the “strong temptation to want to put its stamp on a piece of legislation” that had already been the subject of “extensive consultation”.
Since the 2019 election, Labor has been seeking to extend an olive branch to religious communities. Labor told FamilyVoice it is “committed to give schools the option to choose either a professionally qualified secular student welfare officer or a chaplain with ongoing qualification requirements, to ensure that our students are appropriately supported”.
On Saturday Guardian Australia revealed claims by a former chaplain that Schools Ministry Group, the second largest chaplaincy provider, imposes a code that discriminates against staff based on relationship status and sexual conduct.
Caragh Larsen also claimed a SMG manager blamed a child’s behavioural issues on a “demonic response” to the “presence of God” that chaplains brought into a school.
SMG has said it does “not endorse” the comments, which are under investigation by the South Australian education department.
Nadia David, Labor’s candidate for Indi, linked to the story on Twitter, questioning “why are we paying for religious chaplains in state schools”.
Why are we paying for religious chaplains in state schools?? https://t.co/p8fyk5FvB7
— Nadia for Indi (@nadiaforindi) April 9, 2022
The independent MP Zali Steggall said there was “value in the breadth of pastoral care services provide by the chaplaincy program as a supplement to formal counselling” but schools should be allowed “more choice”.
The independent candidate for Boothby, Jo Dyer, said “requiring support [to young people] to be provided by chaplains … undermines the important principle of the separation between church and state”.
“I support schools being able to access the funds currently provided through the national schools chaplaincy program to buy in a range of pastoral and psychological support services.”
In December an inquiry into mental health chaired by the Liberal MP Fiona Martin called for an independent evaluation of the chaplaincy program.
The independent candidate for Curtin, Kate Chaney, supports that call. “It’s appropriate that we are reviewing whether wellbeing outcomes are best served through the current chaplaincy program,” she said.
The education department has agreed to the independent evaluation, which is also a condition of the chaplaincy agreement with the states.
